UFC Announces Anderson Silva Vs. Nick Diaz For January

A super-fight has been signed for 2015, as former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva makes his return to the Octagon against Nick Diaz. UFC president Dana White made the announcement during a special appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Tuesday.

The card, slated for January 31 from Las Vegas, will take place the weekend of the Super Bowl. It is expected to be contested in the middleweight division.

“The fight that the fans have been waiting for. The fight that the fans have been screaming for. We have made Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz,” White said. “It will be the main event and it will be five rounds.”

Silva (33-6) suffered a broken leg last December in a loss to Chris Weidman for the middleweight title. It was the second straight loss to Weidman for “The Spider,” who has been silencing critics about retirement since the injury.

Diaz (26-9) recently signed a new three-fight deal with the UFC after announcing his retirement in 2013 following a loss to Georges St-Pierre. He is a former Strikeforce champion and owns wins over BJ Penn, Paul Daley and Frank Shamrock.